OT: September 11, 2001... Where were you?

[Beastmode]

was driving across bay bridge in San Fran (am I the only one on this thread from the west coast?).

Took the whole family to the newly opened WTC/memorial about 2 months after they opened it. Was amazing; something every family should do. Went to the top floor and absorbed it all in. Two of my kids were not born and one was a year old when it happened.

Sat them down near the window and gave them our version of events. Wanted them to understand two things:

1.) don't spend a minute of your life hating another race/religion/country/orientation. Respect everyone regardless of our differences.
2.) Make sure your generation slaughters every terrorists that threatens our country, and freedom is worth dying for.

I will never forget that day.

[GregMitch34]

Grand Central Station. In NyC all day. Close friend (and my Little League coach) near top of WTC. R.I.P.

[Tao_Moko]

I was off to war. Semper Fi

[iowadoc77]

Originally Posted by Tao_Moko

I was off to war. Semper Fi

Thank you for your service

[KMayUSA6060]

Originally Posted by Tao_Moko

I was off to war. Semper Fi

Thank you for your service.

[clydepepper]

Originally Posted by Tao_Moko

I was off to war. Semper Fi

Thank You, Eric - for your service and sacrifice.

[bigtrain]

I was on the 9th floor of the Union County Jail in Elizabeth, New Jersey visiting an inmate. Beautiful clear view of lower Manhattan just across the river. Watched the second plane hit. Went across the street to the Courthouse and listened to the radio as the towers fell. We were numb with shock. Everyone in the Courthouse knew people who worked in the towers. I had been there just the week before. The image of that plane is etched in my memory

[yanks4]

I was playing Baseball on Doubleday Field...Our game started at 9:00 and ended around 10:15...... 7 innings. Right after the game the managers called us all to home plate. As we stood in a circle around home plate we were told what had happened. There were many guys from the city there and even a couple of NYC firemen.
Surreal.....I immediately went back to my Bed and Breakfast on Chestnut Street and watched all morning long in my uniform. At 2:30 or so I went to the HOF in a daze....Hardly anyone there of course. Took a picture in front with the flag at half mast........the rest is a blur.... overwhelmed...in shock..

[clydepepper]

Awesome, Marty!

I attended the HOF Game there in 1999, but they didn't let me play.
It was the Rangers vs. the Royals, though many of the stars sat it out.

It was the last year they had the HOFG on Induction Weekend...what a shame.


Me and a pal did play catch on the grassy incline which faced the just completed Induction Ceremonies, but that was held on the site of some soccer fields.


We thrilled some of the remaining drunks (they were just 'pleasantly distracted') with what was left of our curveballs.

- never seen so many porta-potties in my life!


Thanks for sharing

[earlywynnfan]

I was on my planning period (teacher), getting ready for the day. Another teacher came in and said "A plane just flew into one of the Towers." My reaction was a resounding "Huh!" as I pictured some yahoo flying their little plane into it. So I went on worrying about my lessons. Then she came back and said "Another plane just hit the other tower!" That's when my brain turned on and we rushed to a TV. The rest of the day, I felt like I was in a bad, horrible movie.

[Nunzio11]

Working in Baltimore watching on tv with co workers. Lost a high school buddy. My wife lost 3 very close family friends. My brother worked on wall st downtown. Nerve racking couple hours trying to reach him.

My father in laws birthday is today sept 11th. Turns 79. He's retired army and sand hog in NYC. He's extremely patriotic. In 2001 vowed to never celebrate his birthday again. His health is not the best so tonight is the first time in 16 years the entire family got together for his birthday. Bittersweet.

[judsonhamlin]

My wife, daughter and I were on vacation in Spain. I remember looking at a TV as we were walking out the door from this great roadside restaurant in the Picos de Europa and seeing a building on fire, but it didn't connect. About an hour or two later, we arrived at our hotel in Potes, which is a remote village in the mountains and it was on the tv in the bar. Everyone was amazing to the three of us and the rest of the day was a blur. Our daughter was less than two and we tried to be strong for her, and took her to a carnival where we met up with a young Spanish couple who literally led us around for the rest of the day. The rest of the trip was spent trying to connect with friends and family ( from NJ here) and wondering what was next. The feeling of being so disconnected from the events was (and still is) difficult to explain.

[bigfanNY]

On a train headed into NYC for a meeting at World Financial center. When it pulled out of linden you could see the towers and black smoke was pouring out of one. I called my wife and she turned on the TV and it said a plane had crashed into the WTC. Saw second plane hit and everyone on plane was crying out of concern for folks they knew. When train got into Penn Station I walked right down and got on a train going back home ( I was told the last to leave Penn station that morning) When the train came out of the tunnel one tower was already down the second collapsed before we reached Newark. I had finished a project on the 40th Floor of one WTC on August 27th. I have never looked at the city the same way since. Now when I go to city I drive in. Sad day